Intro to Ayurveda Dinacharya
Ayurveda has always focused on the importance of the concept of dinacharya, a concept to live life in a way that aligns with the energies that prevail in the nature in a day. A similar concept even science has been talking about associating circadian rhythm with our physical, mental, hormonal, emotional, physiological & psychological experiences in life. The beauty of Ayurveda concept of dinacharya & modern concept of circadian rhythm is that both emphasize on the specific energy prevailing in the environment at different times of the day impacting everything from digestion, metabolism, detoxification etc.
What is Ayurveda Dinacharya?
Ayurveda dinacharya elaborates on following a daily discipline & performing certain activities at specific time of the day to best support body’s internal balance. Ayurveda highly honors the fact that our biological clocks must be in sync with the sleep & wake-up cycle or the circadian cycles of nature. Dinacharya gives us a framework to follow design our daily routines in a specific way including waking, exercise, bathing, meditation, prayer, meals, study, work, relaxation, and sleeping all done at the right time as it aligns with the nature & our body functioning.
What is Circadian Rhythm?
Circadian Rhythm is a science-driven study to determine how to live, eat, and breathe in harmony with nature. In 2017, three physiologists were awarded with Nobel Prize for their research on the body’s clock and circadian rhythms. They revealed that biological rhythms are the natural cyclical changes in our body and are deeply connected to the cycles in nature or the circadian rhythms. Body processes vary based on solar and lunar related rhythms. Hypothalamus governs the master clock in our brain & aligns our body’s physiological functions to roughly 24-hour cycle. Body literally dances to the tunes of interplay of light and darkness.
Body Functioning Associated with Circadian Rhythm?
According to science, its proven in research how these internal clocks controlled by Hypothalamus controls hormonal activity, body’s inflammation levels, detoxification processes, digestion, sleep cycle, weight management, and much more. This internal clock is body intelligence that aligns the body to physiological pathways to do certain things at certain times. For example, liver detoxifies mid-night in a state of complete rest.
Impact of Chronodisruption
Chronodisruption is a term used to define the disconnection from circadian rhythms. A state of chronodisruption has been linked to host of health concerns including poor metabolism, hormonal imbalance, sleep concerns, poor cognitive function, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, reduced performance, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and some cancers.
How to Reset Circadian Rhythm?
Ayurveda dinacharya gives us a laid framework that is meant to keep us best aligned with our circadian rhythm. Morning hours as per Ayurveda must be utilized to meditate, exercise, detox, clean the body, activate digestion, strengthen the muscles to get ready for the day ahead. Breakfast must be whole & nutritious specially naturally sweet to calm the gut & strengthen the will. Lunch must be the heaviest meal of the day comprising of all six tastes - sweet, acidic, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. Afternoon nap must be avoided as it may hinder with body’s detox processes as high kapha condition may manifest with afternoon nap making body dull & lethargic inside out. Sunset time holds special relevance in Ayurveda signifying balance between day and night. This is the time for evening prayers and meditations to manage the anxiety of transition. Dinner according to Ayurveda must be between 6-7 pm, just at sunset. It gives the body ample time to digest the food & supports body to detox at bedtime during state of deep sleep. It is best to sleep between 9 and 10 pm & allow the detox organs enough time to perform detoxification a few hours after we get into deep sleep.
0 comments